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Walking home last night, it struck me that the thing I find most dispiriting about where we live is all the grey concrete and tarmac.

This evening the children solved that problem for me. A neighbouring child called round, and had to almost drag my children out by the hair, so goggled-eyed and lethargic were they from too much screen time.

They headed out with a box of chalks and began an impromptu street art competition. More flocked to join them. Soon there were seven kids, aged between 2 and 9, pouring their creative souls onto the vast blank canvas of the pavement - bringing brightness, exuberance, colour and life to the paths we daily tread.

Last year when dreaming up our Big Lunch, I wanted to suggest painting a mural on the grey wall at the end of our estate. It being our first Big Lunch in the community, and organising it single-handedly, I didn’t want to put noses out of joint, or foist my mad creative projects on unwilling victims.

I love community art projects. A few years back I co-chaired a local arts festival. One of our most popular events was the family sand-sculpting competition on the beach.

This year I have a feeling there will be another pavement art competition for the Big Lunch, and perhaps a mural too – even if it’s just in chalks.

One response to Community art: drawing over the cracks

Cougarsays:

Thank you so much for designing this for the jibluee, I have stitched this on an artists small canvas and it will be displayed in the town church for our celebrations, and then kept in the local museum.